Vehicle body



Jan. 19, 1932-. A. s. THOMPS-ON VEHICLE BODY 2 Sheets-Sheet l FiledMarch 15 Jan. 19, 1932. s THOMPSON 1,841,991

VEHICLE BODY Filed March 13 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented .lan, 19,1932 l r OF I 'ABTHUR S. THOMPSON, f ONTAEIG, GALIFQENIA V'EEGLE BQDYApplication filed March 13%, 1930. aerial Ho. d35,5841.

My invention relates to improvements in vehicle bodies, and one objectof my invention is the provision of a body structure which can bereadily mounted upon the chassisof an automobile or motor vehicle andwhich will effectively serve as a bus, ambulance,

camping or touring vehicle as circumstances require.

Another object of my invention is the pro 1 vision of a vehicle bodywhich will have a large seating capacity and which can be instantlyconverted into a sleeping car and which will prove entirely satisfactoryfor both uses.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a vehicle body whichwill provide either seating or sleeping accommodations, will be of smallsize when capacity is considered and which will be of very ornamentaland attractive appearance.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a vehicle body of thecharacter and for the uses described, which will be very strong anddurable, easy riding and very comfort-able and which can be built at aprice which will make its use very desirable and practical.

With the objects stated in View, my invenm tion consists of a vehiclebody embodying novel featuresof construction and arrangement of'itsparts, substantially as described and defined by the claims and as shownin the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figurel represents a side view of a vehicle body constructed inaccordance with and e1nbodying my invention, the position of the top orroof structure being shown in raised position in dotted lines.

. Figure 2 represents a detail view of the fastening means for securingthe .bed structure in its relation to the body and top or roof of thebody.

Figure 3 represents a sectional view on line 4 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 represents a sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 represents a detail view in end elevation of the means forraising and lowering the top or roof of my body, with parts of the roofand sides of the body shown in section, and

Figure 6 represents a perspective View of one-o1": the doors at thefront or drivers compartment of the body.

Figures 7 and 8 represent detail views of the storage boxes and caseswhich are mounted in the chamber of the roof which covers the drivers'forward compartment.

Referring by numeral to the drawings in which the same numbers ofreference are used to denote the same parts in all the views: a

The numeral 1 designates the bottom or floor of the body, which isformed with the rear platform or extension 2, which is of curved formand provided with the curved walls 3,and the hinged curved doors 4,whose upper portions are provided with windows 5,

and this construction forms an observation platform which may be open tothe air, or closed when the weather is unpleasant.

Upon the forward portion of the floor is mounted. the driverscompartment 6, which is provided on each side with hinged doors 7, whichare of the novel construction shown in Figure 6, and which is providedwith the upper pair of windows 8, hinged at 9, to be easily opened orclosed, the compartment 10, below said windows, which has the hin eddoor 11, and below which is the curved ox or'case 12, having hingedcover or lid 13, the said compartment '10 forming a case for suits ordresses and the box or case 12, being useful as a container for clothingor other articles, and this door structure is an important feature of myinvention.

The body is formed with the lower side panels 14, which are offset asshown at 15, to form chambers or spaces 16, for the double sectionfolding bed structure 17, which in igure 3 is shown as closed, and suchstructure is provided with legs 18, for supporting the beds in loweredposition when in use.

The body has fitted in said lower panels the upper side panels 19, whichpanels are provided with the upper rail 20, and the lower and broadersill 21, and the said panels are further provided with the series offrames 22, mounted in openings 23, and thus said frames may be appliedor removed when desired and such frames have mounted therein windows 24,although wire screens may be used in place of glass windows'when foundnecessary or desirable.

The upper rails 20, form the support for the air of L shaped metal rails25, which are ormed with a flange or rib 26, to which flan es areconnected the fastenings 27, shown in igure 2, which are carried by theupper bed structure 28, which is thus disposed near the upper part ofthe body and out of the way, and to which access is obtained by thesteps 29, all as most clearly shown in Fig ure 3.

This top bed structure may extend the length of the body and willprovide sleeping accommodations for a number of persons ac-.

cording to the length of the body, and while this bed structureis-stationary the top or roof 30, is movable and is provided with thedepending sides or wings 31, which are provided with openings 32,receivin window or screen frames 33, which when t e roof is loweredtonormal position as shown in Figure 3, brings said windows of the sidepanels of the body and the wings carried by the roof in line with thelower edges of said wings resting on the sills 21 of the sides of thebody, and to raise and lower said roof I provide a novel mechanism whichis shown most clearly in Figures 4 and 5.

The said raising and lowering means consists of the'pair of longitudinalshafts 34, mounted in bearings 35, in the upper portion of the body,each shaft carrying a pair of gear wheels 36, which mesh with the deendmg rack bars 37, hangin from the roo and the rear ends of said sha s34 are extended as shown at 38, and carry gear wheels 39, over whichtravels the chain 40, and which chain is caused to travel by means ofthe sprocket or gear wheels 41 and 41, the shaft of said sprocket wheel41, havin a crank 42, for manually revolvin its s aft and causing thechains 43, whicliengages the sprocket or gear wheels 41 and 41 and saidchain 40, to move and to raise and lower the roof of the body, as willbe readily understood.

The construction, operation and advantages of my vehicle body will bereadily understood from the drawings taken in connection with thedescription and further elaboration s not deemed necessa and it will benoted that in use as a touring or travelling vehicle the floor isoccupied by suitable chairs or seats, which are not shown, and that theroof is lowered as shown in Figures 3 and 5, and when necessary toconvert the bodyinto sleeping accommodations, the roof is raised to theposition shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, by means of the mechanismshown in Figure 5, and this forms a large space or compartment above thebed structure, which roof may be entirely closed by the windows andcurtain 44, or the windows for use.

It will be evident that a vehiclelbody constructed according to myinvention will be of large capacity which is of attractive andornamental appearance; also that the body may be used for touring byproviding travelling and sleeping accommodations of a most comfortablenature; and that the body may be produced at a figure to render its usehighly desirable and practical.

It will be noted that the side members or wings of the roof are arrangedparallel with the sides of the body and to maintain this relation, Iprovide the series of vertical guide rods 45, which are secured to theside panels of the body and the wings are also provided with slottedguides 46, at their lower edges which move snugly on said. rods and thusprovide guiding and retainingimeans, and this is an important feature ofmy invention.

A most important feature of my invention is the storing features of myvehicle and as shown in Figures 7 and 8 the roof 47 of the driverscompartment forms a chamber 48. and disposed in this chamber are thepair of hinged cases 49, whichare limited in their open or downwardposition by chains 50, and are retained in closed position by thecatches 51, and this arrangement insures a large storing capacity whichis entirely out of the way when closed and which can be quickly openedfor filling or removal of articles.

It will be noted by reference to Figure 3 of the drawings, that thelower portion of my vehicle body. above the floor and side panelsmounted thereon, is of increased width and that the upper portion is ofdecreased width or narrower than said increased width portion of thelower portion and this construction is of paramount importance as itprovides longitudinal chambers or compartments in the lower portion toreceive folding bed structures and also forms space on each side of saidupper portion in which the wings which support the roof structurenormally fit and are capable of vertical movement and this constructlongives a streamline formation to the body as a whole, greatly enhancingthe beauty and desirability of the body and the roof and wings arelimited in their lowered position within said spaces and may be elevatedto provide a compartment above the bed structure supported in the upper.portion.

Also, it will be noted that the bed structure is mounted in the top ofthe upper portion of the body and that said upper portion and wings areeach provided with windows, the windows of the wings when loweredalining with the windows of the upper portion and when raised beingdisposed above the bed structure to provide an upper compartment withlight and air.

Also, it will be noted that the bed structure practically coversthe'open upper portion of the body and that the wings can be easilyraised to form a compartment above the bed structure and lowered toaline with the windows in the lowerportion providing a double windowconstruction and that the raising and lowering means serve to guide thewings and retain them in proper parallel relation at all times topreserve the stream line feature of my invention.

1 claim:

1. A vehicle body of the character described, comprising a lower parthaving a contiguous portion of increased width, an upper portion ofdecreased width mounted on said lower portion to form a space on eachside of said upper portion,a roof structure,wings depending from saidroof structure and fitting and guided in the space on each side of saidupper portion, windows insaid upper portion and wings, and means forlowering said wings to bring the windows of the wings arid upper portioninto alinement and to raise said wings to dispose its windows above-theupper portion and to provide a compartment above said upper portion.

2. A vehicle body of the character described, comprising a lower portionhaving a contiguous portion of increased width, an upper portion ofdecreased width mounted on said lower portion to form a space oneachside of said upper portion, a roof structure, wings depending from saidroof structure and fitting and guided in the space on each side of saidupper portion, windows in said upper portion and wings, a bed structuremounted in the upper portion of said upper portion of the body, andmeans for lowering said wings to bring the windows of the wings andupper portion into alinement to form a double window construction and toraise said wings to dispose its windows above the upper portion and bedstructure and to provide a compart nient above said upper portion.

3. A. vehicle body of the character described, comprising a lower parthaving a contiguous portion of increased width to form a pair of similarlongitudinal chambers, an upper portion of decreased width mounted onsaid lower portion to form a space on each side of said upper portion, aroof structure, wings depending from said roof structure and fitting andguided in the space on each side of said upper portion, windows in saidupper portion and wings, a bed structure mounted in the upper portion ofsaid upper portion of the body, and means for lowering said wings tobring the windows of the wings and upper portion into alinement and toform r a double window construction and to raise said wings to disposeits windows above the 4. A vehicle body of the character described,comprising a lower part having a contiguous portion of increased widthproviding in said lower ortion a pair of similar longitudinal chain ers,an upper portion of decreased width mounted on said lower portion toform a space on each side of said upper portion, a roof structure, wingsdepending from said roof structure and fitting and guided in the spaceon each side of said upper portion, windows in said upperportion andwings, a bed structure mounted in the upper portion of said upperportion of the body, and means for lowering said wings to bring thewindows of the wings and upper ,portion into alinement and to form adouble window construction and to raise saidwings to dispose its windowsabove the upper portion and bed structure and to provide acompartment'above said upper portion and means for guiding said wingportion in its movement and retaining it in parallel relation with saidlower portion, said means for raising and lowering the roof section andwings consisting of a pair of longitudinal shafts mount-- ed in theupper portion of the body, fore and aft gear wheels on each of saidshafts, fore and aft depending racks supported from the roof andengaging said gear wheels, sprocket wheels on one end of said shafts, asprocket chain engaging said sprocket wheels to rotate said shafts, anda driving manually oper portion to form a space on each side of saidupper portion, a roof structure, wings depending from said roofstructure and fitting and guided in the space on each side of said upperportion, windows in said upper portion and wings, a bed structuremounted in the upper portion of said upper portion of the body, andmeans for lowering said wings to bring the windows of the wings andupper portion into alinement and to form a double window constructionand to raise said wings to dispose its windows above the upper portionand bed structure and to provide a cornpartmont above said upper portionand means for guiding said wing portion in its movement and retaining itin parallel relation with said lower portion, said guiding meansconsisting of aseries of Vertical rods mounted outside the upper portionand eyes or loops on too the inner portion of the wings for engagementwith said vertical rods.

6. A vehicle body of the character described, consisting of a floor,lower panels surmounting said floor, broad sills having their outer endssecured upon the upper ends of said panels, upper panels having theirlower endssecured to the inner ends of said broad sills, narrow sillsmounted on the upper ends of said upper panels, whereby a space isprovided on each side of said upper panels and compartments rovided onthe inner side of said lower ane s, windows in said upper panels, a roostructure, wings depending from said roof structure and fitting normallywithin the spaces at each side of said upper panels, windows in said wins normally alin- In" with the windows of the upper panels, guide rodssecured between the broad and narrow sills, loops carried by the wingsand guided upon said rods, and means for raising and lowering the roofsection and wings consisting of a pair of longitudinal shafts mounted inthe upper portion of the body, fore and aft gear wheels on each of saidshafts, fore and aft depending racks supported from the roof andengaging said gear wheels, sprocket wheels on one end of said shaft, asprocket chain engaging said sprocket wheels to rotate said shafts, anda driving manually operated mechanism for rotating said sprocket wheelsand driving said sprocket chain.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

ARTHUR S. THOMPSON.

